The Honeymoon is something that often goes overlooked if you’re planning a low-budget wedding. People often skip out on this little chance for a vacation in order to save money – but you don’t have to skip your honeymoon in order to stick to your budget! Here are some tips to help you out.
Consider keeping your honeymoon local
One of the biggest expenses of a honeymoon is often the airline tickets, but if the point is just to relax and enjoy time together, a short roadtrip could be all the distance you need. Staying fairly local can help cut out the cost of travel, and you can spend that money on getting a nice hotel or maybe just an airbnb rental and a few nice dinners instead. Consider what local cities, beaches, parks or attractions might be within an easy driving distance, and play tourist in your own state for a weekend.
Travel where your money is worth more
If you have your heart set on adventuring a little further than home, research places where your money can stretch with the local exchange rate. If you live in the US, you might consider Mexico, areas of Central and South America, or even India for an exotic location that will give you great return on your currency. You can find cheap flights sometimes! And if you don’t want to leave your home country, there are often certain states or towns where the cost of hotels, food, etc, will be cheaper than where you live, which will have the same effect of making your money seem worth more than it is. If you’re up for a real adventure, try WWOOF-ing for your honeymoon.
Travel during off-season
The benefits of having an off-season wedding apply to your honeymoon as well! Prices are cheaper during the times that are less popular to travel, as airlines and hotels offer better deals in order to fill up their available space. Luckily, even if you are getting married in the popular spring/summer season, the weather in different parts of the world means it’s always off-season somewhere! For example, while travel to Australia and New Zealand may peak in winter, their off-season is May through August, which is the opposite of many locations closer to the US.
Take advantage of credit card rewards
If you have the opportunity to plan in advance, you can earn miles and points towards major hotels and airlines with a travel rewards credit card. With a small amount of research, you should be able to choose the card that works best for you, and putting your big wedding purchases, such as the ring, venue, dress, and food on the card can rack up a huge number of bonus points and miles to be used towards a dream honeymoon. Pay the card off right away with your wedding budget, and you’re basically getting a free vacation!
Let others pay for your honeymoon
One additional way you can save money for your honeymoon, no matter where or when you’re going, is to request honeymoon money as a wedding gift from your guests. While it may be rude to request envelopes full of cash, a quick search into what’s available near where you’re going should reveal nearby restaurants and activities that offer gift cards, which you can place on your wedding registry. In addition, registry sites like Zola and HoneyFund offer options for guests to give directly to a honeymoon fund, which goes straight to your bank account.
Remember, whether you camp under the stars or splurge on a five-star hotel, the honeymoon is about relaxing with your new life partner. Enjoy your time together, something that doesn’t take any funds at all!
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